Highly stable N-containing polymer-based Fe/Nx/C electrocatalyst for alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cell applications

A cost-effective electrocatalyst with high activity and stability was developed. The Fe-Nx and pyridinic-N active sites were embedded in nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon nanomaterial by carbonization at high temperature. The electrocatalyst exhibited excellent electrochemical performance for the oxygen reduction reaction, with high onset potential and half-wave potential values (Eonset = 1.10 ​V and E1/2 ​= ​0.944 ​V) than 20 ​wt % Pt/C catalyst (1.04 and 0.910 ​V). The mass activity of the Schiff base network (SNW) based SNW-Fe/N/C@800° electrocatalyst (0.64 ​mA ​mg−1 @ 1 ​V) reached about half of the commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst (1.35 ​mA ​mg−1 @ 1 ​V). The electrocatalyst followed the 4-electron transfer mechanism due to very low hydrogen peroxide yield (H2O2 ​< ​1.5%) was obtained. In addition, this electrocatalyst with dual active sites showed high stability during cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry measurements. More importantly, the electrocatalyst also demonstrated the power density of 266 ​mW ​cm−2 in the alkaline anions exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) test, indicating its prospective application for fuel cells.